To the editor:

My mother-in-law lent me a magazine and it is blowing my mind.  Now normally it takes more than a magazine to accomplish this feat, so allow me to explain.  It is the May 1974 issue of Ms. featuring a section on fathers.  A new father holding his daughter is pictured on the cover, actor Donald Sutherland argues that fathers have a place in the delivery room, and a piece on working fathers showcases the variety and flexibility that can be achieved in modern family life.  It is hard for me to reconcile the promise and fighting optimism of the mid-70’s feminist with the reality on the ground as we approach the early twenty-teens.

Despite the questionable fashion choices and the overwhelming number of cigarette ads, it would appear that 1974 has it all over on us when it comes to equality of the sexes.  There are several parenting themed media outlets here in Fargo-Moorhead that are unabashedly for and about women, with the token “Dads” area thrown in to make it inclusive.  The Forum’s “Moms” section is a case in point.  It is a well designed website and I believe it to be a great resource for caregivers such as myself, but why in the world does the title exclude half of all parents?

Political correctness has earned a reputation for torturing phrases until they become ridiculous in order to appease minority groups, yet sometimes a discriminatory phrase can do real damage in the marketplace of ideas.  Could you imagine if the jobs section of the online newspaper was titled “Working Men”?

Lukas Brandon

Full-time father, part-time professional caregiver, juggler, writer
www.daddydispatch.com

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